


Familiarity

by Eleanore_Delphinium



Category: DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Teen Titans (Animated Series) Setting, Deja Vu, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fate & Destiny, Love, Marriage, Mission Related, Mystery, Mystery Character(s), Not Actually Unrequited Love, Romance, Soulmates, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teen Titans References, Teen Years, Teenagers, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25063780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleanore_Delphinium/pseuds/Eleanore_Delphinium
Summary: When Apokolips attacked Earth, Damian had offered Raven to join him, to lead the league and she accepted. This is their story-- of a time after she accepted his offer. And the story of a promise: Forever and Always.From Tumblr weekly prompts, turned into its own series with a few arcs..
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Koriand'r & Garfield Logan & Raven & Jaime Reyes & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Raven, Dick/Raven, Raven/Damian Wayne, Raven/Tim, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Raven
Kudos: 45





	1. Bound Together

**Author's Note:**

> First three chapters are DAMIRAE WEEK 2020 PROMPTS in Tumblr!  
> Titles for the first three chapters are the prompts.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a Tumblr prompt; Bound together

Damian stood in front of me, and I was at the verge of tears over the loss of our teammates and the emotions of those killed around us due to the parademons. It was suffocating and overwhelming, everything was too much. I could feel so much anger and remorse, and sadness-- and the simple realization that this was it—this was their death. The intensity of it all made me rather self-aware, that this was happening to the entire people of earth at this moment. And I couldn’t help it anymore, because it came so suddenly and with such intensity, I found myself crying.

“Raven…” Damian said, he was dripping wet as he had just come out of the water just a moment ago. I found my outstretched hand shaking as I tried to approach him because I had to heal him. But I found myself stumbling, Damian noticing my situation and ran towards me despite his obvious injured state and held me on our knees.

“Raven.” He says my name so firmly for a moment I was able to contain my emotions.

 _“Little girl, you and I both know your will is slipping, just let me out now and ease your pain.”_ My father whispers to me, but I just bit my lip to maintain my concentration.

“I have to heal you, Damian.” I simply say as I brought my hand to his face. He looks down at me and he closes his eyes with a sigh. And I healed him, but the contact made me focus on his emotions. It was similar to what I was already feeling, but this was undoubtedly his, and not a collection of emotions from a multitude of people. My tears continue to fall, as his anger, sadness and helplessness begin to blend into the sea of emotions from the entire world.

 _“Little girl.”_ I bit my lip harder.

“Raven!” Damian called out to me, a hand on my cheek, my eyes wide in shock.

“What are you doing?” He says angrily, and I look at him confused. “Your drawing out blood!” He says his voice laced with worry; his eyes seemingly focused on my chin—no my lips, that is why it felt numb. I had bit down on my lip so much to injure it.

 _“Slipping…”_ A chuckle echoes through my ears.

“I…” I glanced at our surroundings, at our dead teammates and dead parademons. “I can’t take this!” I shoved my face against my shaking hands. It’s just too much, I sob. And I could feel him stay so still. He was dealing with this too; he must think me selfish for acting like this. He wouldn’t understand—no one could understand this knot I was feeling right now.

I felt arms wrapped around me and it caused me to stop crying out of shock. And I looked up to see the setting sky. Damian’s head on the nook between my right shoulder and neck.

“Everything will be alright, Raven. I promise you.” Hearing him say that, made me feel centered again. And I was able to block the external emotions I was feeling. But one final tear slipped from my eye, as I slowly return his comforting hug. And yet knowing, so fully well, that even he was unsure how to proceed after this disaster. Knowing fully well, that everything was not alright.

When all my emotions settled in, all that was left was his and my genuine emotions. Damian now felt that he had a responsibility, I couldn’t help but wonder what he felt responsible for. And I realized that the helplessness Damian felt before, was mine too.

 _“You won’t be so lucky next time”_ A light growl from father echoes in my mind.

“We need to find a safe place.” Damian says as he pulled away from me, and I nodded. I absently looked at our team members, and so did he.

“We can’t even bury them…” I whisper softly, and Damian looked down on the ground as he shook his head and after stood up offering me his right hand.

“We can’t afford to waste time, the parademons might attack again, we need to hide now and rest properly.” I look up at him as I placed my hand on top his right hand. I know that he was right.

We had been hiding and killing parademons here and there for a week now. Three days ago, we found out that Conner was alive and joined us in hiding. We were so happy to find that there was someone else who had survived the attack.

“So, what’s the plan Damian?” Superboy asks, we were at a dark abandoned building—our current hide out.

“Nothing, we just have to try and survive now.” Damain glares at Superboy. “This is all Superman’s fault.” He gritted his teeth, and I saw Superboy ball his fist in response. Despite being together for three days, the tension between them had not dissipated. They would fight over this topic.

“Enough!” I say knowing fully well that this could start a fight. “There is no plan Conner, you’ve seen the state of the world already. What can three barely superheroes do? We only fight parademons when they attack us, we have never actively fought them, we can’t risk a horde after us, you know that!”

A faint amuse laughter comes out from my father, and I lean against the broken table for support. I felt their eyes on me.

“Perhaps it was wrong of you to come here Superboy. I did not expect that you were hoping for us three to do something against Darkseid.” Damian says and I look up at him, the tension between the two felt stagnant for a moment. The look on Damian’s face tugged on my heartstrings.

“Perhaps it is better for you to return to your family and protect them,” He looks away from Connor and sighs. “Be thankful you still have them.” Damian’s fist clenched.

When Connor found us, I recalled the relieved look on his face. When we got to a safe place, he told us that when we were attacked, he was hit and flew far away from the tower. When he came to, he had attempted to go to the Titans Tower to collect our dead; but he could not find himself to look at them so closely. So, Conner stood from a very safe distance and left. Afterwards he went to his parents, hoping that they were safe. Thankfully, Superman had implemented a safety measure for them, so they were safe. Damian was very angry when he found out Superman had safety precautions for his parents.

Conner was devastated but with his parents help, he was able to find strength again. And so, he went back to the Titan Tower, planning to bury his fellow members as that was what they deserved, but there were no bodies to be found. And that was when he deciding and hoped that just maybe-- somewhere out there-- was at least one Titan member that survived. And he found us.

I had opened my mouth to try and comfort Damian but Connor cut me off with a very loud sigh.

“You’re right, Damain.” A pause. “I am grateful that they are safe, and I should probably go and make sure that they will always be safe.” I felt Superboy’s resignation, there was really nothing we could do now. We knew for a fact that the justice league members that went to Apokolips are mostly dead, so what hope and chance did we really have?

Connor approaches Damian and placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers sadly, Damian looks down on the floor.

“Yeah, me too…” He responds faintly, and Connor slowly walks out of our hideout. He glances at me and gives a weak smile as farewell, and I couldn’t help but feel like crying, because I felt them. They were just trying to be strong, but the reality was—they weren’t. They were trying to look for hope in a place that provided no form of comfort. They had felt the resignation long before this moment—this moment that they finally acknowledged their hopelessness.

When the door closes behind Connor, I stood up and slowly approach Damian.

“Raven…” He calls my name in the darkness and I was startled, I look at his green eyes my brows etched in worry.

A gasp from my father.

“I have something I must admit to you.” He tells me and I can see and feel how difficult this is for him.

 _“I get it now,”_ My father laughs.

“What is it Damian?” I look at him and gently urged him with a faint smile. He turns his back around me and walked a couple steps.

 _“You like him.”_ A fact.

“I have been in contact with the league of assassins,” I stare at his back. “I am thinking of going back.” He crossed his arms behind him, he turns to look at me, his eyes gentle.

“I would like you to join me in leading them.” I stare at his lips as he says those words.

 _“I will kill the boy if you don’t release me, daughter!”_ My heart was beating so loud and it felt as though it sunk to my stomach, and I must have looked ashen.

“No…” I whispered breathlessly. Damian was startled—hurt. He took a step back unconsciously and turned around.

“I… I understand.” He mutters to himself, not sounding like his usual self.

A laughter from my father. Damian looked as though he was preparing to leave now.

“No!” I ran towards Damian and grabbed his left wrist pulling him to me, and he turns to look at me. But I just crashed my lips against his, and I placed my right hand on his right cheek.

 _“You will regret this daughter!”_ My father screams. I felt Damian wrap his left arm around my waist and his right hand cupping my left cheek as he kisses me back.

Shut up, father.

“Yes! Yes, I want to go with you!” I say frantically, worried that the kiss was not obvious enough. But he had kissed me back—so this means its mutual right?

I hear him sigh and placed his head on the nook of my right shoulder.

“You worried me, Raven. I’m glad you changed your mind so quickly” He chuckles. I hug him and clenched his cape.

You will not win father, I swear it.

When we arrived at Nan Parbat, the first thing Lady Shiva said was about Dick.

“You used the Lazarus Pit on Dick?” I grabbed his wrist and look at him. We were at an empty hallway within the compound.

“I have to try— his my brother!” Damian says not looking me in the eyes.

“Damian…” I took a step forward, placed my hand on his cheek and stood on my tippy toes, understanding what I was doing he places his forehead against mine. “I trust you. I trust your decisions; I might have done the same.” And he wrapped me around his arms.

“Just so we are clear…” Damian clears his throat and pulled away; he looks away from me. “We are together right?” And I laugh and he glares at me with a slight pout.

“Of course,” I cup both of his cheeks between my hands and I felt his relief. “I trust that you trust me too?” He smiles and closes the distance between our lips. A soft gentle and loving kiss.

“Yes, I do.” He says and I could hear my father growl, but I smiled. I will enjoy my moment with him, for as long as I can.

Two years had passed and in those two years, I felt so happy. Happier than I have ever been, but sadly my father has become a little bit too loud and my healing is not as it used to be. But I was at least able to return Dick’s sanity, it was a very long and tedious process, and with my waning healing abilities, there are times that he slips into madness again.

“There is an intruder! Inform the demon’s head!” I heard someone yell, I asked where the commotion was coming from and ran towards the courtyard.

“You!” I heard Damian call out in fury. I had a bad feeling about this, when I stepped out of the doorway, I saw Superman with Constantine and behind them Etrigan fighting assassins. Damian had unsheathed his sword and was ready to attack Superman.

“Damian!” I called out as I use my powers to block Damian’s attack on Superman. He turns to glare at me.

“He wouldn’t be here without good cause, let us hear him out.” Damian sighs and sheaths his sword.

“Your lucky my wife saved your ass.” He glares at Superman whose eyes widened at the information while Constantine chokes.

“I’m sorry… aren’t you two too young?” Constantine was at the verge of laughing but I glared at him, a silent warning not to.

“I already have a lot of regrets, starting from allowing father to follow on your idiotic crusade, Clark.” When Damian said Clark there was nothing but hatred there. “I will not add another one.” He gestures for the uninvited guest through the door and he glances at me.

“You have seen the state of the world, Constantine, at least there is this piece of happiness between us.” I finished for Damian our eyes locked. We had talked about it before.

“And its not like laws matter at the state the world is in.” Damian couldn’t help but comment bitterly.

We had settled the intruders in a room. Damian was not happy with the situation but I give him a look to remind him that they’re purpose here must be important.

“So, why are you three here?” Damian says trying to contain his anger and hatred.

“To the point, I like that.” Etrigan says. And Superman tells us how he thinks Damian could get across Batman, and that when Batman found out Nightwing died there was a reaction from the big bat. Damian and I exchanged a knowing glance. The silence in the room was chilling. Before Damian could respond I interrupt.

“We will think about it.” I glance at Damian and walked out of the room. This is bad. I went to our bedroom, and sat down on a chair facing the door.

I was nervous, or perhaps it was the external factors of it all making me feel so— What am I saying, of course it’s the external factors.

I kept picking on my purple robe out of sheer nervousness, and chewed on my lips, I felt awful. What would they think, what would _he_ think? Why does it matter what he thinks—of course it does, why am I even lying to myself. This inner turmoil I am feeling was just eating me up whole.

The door opens revealing Damian, he looked exhausted.

“I told them that we should sleep it off first, and that we will come to a conclusion tomorrow.” He says as he slowly removes his armor, I stood up to help.

“Raven, you don’t have to, you seem exhausted.” Damain tells me gently and I smiled at him. I look into his beautiful green eyes, and…

“There is something I have to tell you…” He looks at me patiently.

“Do you recall when you offered me to lead the league with you?” I ask him our bodies just two feet apart.

“Of course,” He says as he folds his cloak. “You looked so terrified and disgusted and…” He sets his cloak down and looks at the floor. “It was painful, I did not know you hated me that much to the point of disgust.” A bitter smile as he cups my cheek.

“But you kissed me, and changed your mind quickly.” The bitter smile was replaced by a warmth that we shared over the last two years.

“Yes, that moment, my father decided to threaten me with your life.” His eyes widened with the revelation. “And I decided no more. And so, Damian, my love.” I cup his cheek this time.

“I have something to tell you.” I whisper as I put my forehead against his.

We awoke the next day with loud screaming that we were both very familiar with.

“Dick.” We say as we look at one another, I used my magic to change clothes and ran towards the screaming, Damian following suit.

“It’s all your fault!” Dick says scratching and thrashing toward Superman in Etrigan’s arms. His eyes had come back to that after he was dumped into the Lazarus pit.

“Dick!” I called out firmly, and he stopped thrashing and looked at me with hollow eyes.

“How could you, its all his fault! HIS!” He yelled and I smiled at him.

“I know, I know…” I placed my hand against his temples and soothed him and he fell asleep.

“Bring my brother to his chambers.” I heard Damian command from behind me, and I moaned in pain.

“Raven what’s wrong?” Damian approaches me worriedly as he saw my pain. “Is it your father again?”

“Maybe I can help.” Constantine says as he did a spell and my father’s voice echoes faintly in the hall.

 _“I don’t believe you! You brat! You ungrateful daughter, you dare!”_ I couldn’t help but smile. I see a few members of the league bring Dick back to his room.

“You heard that didn’t you Constantine?” I say as I stood up straight. “He says he doesn’t believe me.”

“Yes, well I do not know of the context but…” He eyes me suspiciously.

“Check if my soul is bounded to Damian.” I look at Damian and he just stood still. I could feel Constantine’s disapproval.

“You wouldn’t—you couldn’t.” Constantine says and he looks between Damian and I.

“Well, only you can disprove it.” I look at him sternly, and he did a magic circle in front of me and then moved in to Damian and did so back and forth. But you can tell from his shocked eyes, to his ashen face that it was true.

“That is one nasty, nasty spell, Raven.” He comments his lips tugging into a proud smile.

“Damian’s fate is my fate. If he dies, I die. We are one and bound together for all eternity.” I simply say as I glance over Damian who gave me a supportive smile.

 _“NO!”_ I hear my father’s furious voice echo in my head.

I win father.


	2. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how the final face off of Darkseid looks like when Raven and Robin are married; this is how the end looks like when time has to be reset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to me! Yay! My gift to you; though this have been posted on FF,  
> wish I had a new chapter but time...
> 
> This is from a tumblr prompt;

DamiRae Week 2020: SOULMATES

When Constantine, Etrigan and Clark came to Damian and me to seek our help. I decided to let them wait for our response. I had things I had to clear out before we made a decision. What they were asking were more than we could put at stake. The world may be in an apocalyptic state; however, we had found happiness in this war-torn earth. But even so, we knew what we had to do. We were putting everything we have built for the past two years onto this suicide mission.

_“You damned ungrateful child!”_

“Father, would you please shut up.” I couldn’t help but mutter as he has been cursing me for a while now. I heard him make a disapproving sound but oddly enough had listened to me. I walk to Dick’s room as I thought that Trigon must be plotting something.

I entered his room, and he was still asleep from the spell I had casted on him. My healing is no longer the same. Perhaps it was for trying to recover the sanity of a once dead Nightwing. Or perhaps because of what I had done to myself and Damian. Afterall, there is a price tag for everything. I went over to Dick and sat beside him quietly as I observed his sleeping face.

I sighed and it sounded loud inside this quiet room. We couldn’t bring Dick due to his tendencies of reverting back to madness. And I felt bad. If we don’t make it, and Dick slips back to totally insanity—without me there to heal him—it would be permanent. Absentmindedly, I brush his hair away from his eyes.

“If it was anyone else who sees their wife stroke another man’s hair, they might kill the man.” I hear Damian remark in the darkness of the room despite it being day outside. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him being jealous. His footsteps were barely audible as he approached me.

“If we don’t make it…” I didn’t have to finish my thought as he places a hand on my shoulder and I faced him. He knew fully well of my worries.

“That time, I had promised you that everything will be alright, beloved. And I felt responsible—I felt that I had to ensure that it will be for you—for me and eventually for us.” He took the responsibility despite not knowing himself what the future would look like after the attack. He was trying to be strong. It was a trait I used to dislike, but have come to love. 

“But…” He kneels down in front of me. And it seemed as though as I already knew what he was going to say, and I couldn’t help but wish this moment would stop and that he wouldn’t say it.

But he places a hand on my left cheek, I close my eyes to savor the moment. A second passes and I placed my right hand over the hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see him reach for our hands with his free hand. He places my right hand on my lap and brought my hands together, wrapped within his palms.

“This time, my beloved. I cannot promise you that.” He used such a gentle voice to try and make him sound less upset, but he cannot lie to an empath. Though I say nothing, I just feel it. I felt the desire he had for life and love, and his desire to protect and preserve. But I also felt the loss and loneliness and remorse. And hope.

“Raven.” He says firmly and I look at him, my vision blurry because of the tears that were ready to fall. “If my life is in danger, I need you to break the spell.” But I shook my head and tried my best to say a firm no, but failed miserably. And then the tears fall awfully slow, down my cheeks. He wipes the tears away by placing his hands on either side of my face.

He smiles faintly and kisses my forehead. “I had to try.”

“Your fate is my fate, my love.” I simply tell him a fact that we both knew to be true for the years that we were together. Even before I had casted the spell, we had always wanted to share each other’s fate with one another. We were intertwined in more ways than one could describe, and even more so when I casted the spell to bound us to one another.

 _“You will regret this.”_ My father couldn’t help but remark in a softer voice than usual.

It wasn’t easy but we eventually arrived at Darkseid’s throne room. Darkseid tells Batman to prove his loyalty to him. I was not happy with this progression. Batman started saying the things Damian have always been insecure about. And I felt rather uneasy. I wondered if it’s mine or his uneasiness that I was feeling, perhaps it was just ours. I could feel Damian was now riled up because of what Batman was saying.

“Damian!” I call out in hopes that he would snap out of it.

But he doesn’t and he initiated the fight with Batman as Batman’s chair came to attack us. I flew to Cyborg knowing that he could not defend himself. I couldn’t help but glance over Damian and Batman every now and then, and doing so was compromising my focus on my shield. With a sigh, I decided to lessen my glances at their fight.

I suddenly gasped in pain and my shield was down. I wasn’t hurt—no, it was Damian. Despite the pain and with the training Damian gave me, I used the opportunity to attack the stupid chair and put up a shield again. Damian was alive, I could feel it. I glanced at Damian really quickly to see that he was stabbed with his sword through his leg. He was well and alive; the thought eased my mind.

I have to destroy this chair.

 _“Let me help daughter.”_ Shut up father. I aimed very carefully and hit the chair with a purple blast and it goes down. I couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

 _“It could be easier for you if you let me fight in your stead.”_ I ignore him.

When I glanced back at Damian, he had gotten through to Batman who had thrown the Kryptonite sword at Darkseid. And I was happy for Damian, the fact that he had gotten through to Batman would finally ease his worries. But Darkseid was not pleased with what Batman did and then he let out a laser beam aimed at Batman.

And I realized what Damian was about to do. Without even thinking, as if it was natural as breathing, he was going to take the hit for Batman. And time slowed down, as an awful scream came out from somewhere—oh it’s from my own mouth. My outstretched hand toward Damian, had let out a shield to protect him. And I choked as I was feeling an out of body experience. Oddly enough, I felt at peace.

 _“I won’t let you touch the boy. He is mine!”_ My father says, his words not making sense to me. _“You are mine, when I find a way. You. Are. Mine.”_ I glared at Damian and that was when it sinks in.

No. My father was in control!

My body flies from my current position to between Darkseid and Damian and floating three meters off the floor.

“Who are you?” Darkseid asks, staring at me.

 _“I’m here to actually even the playing field.”_ An ominous male laugh crackles from my lips.

“No, she isn’t!” I could hear Damian yell as a black blur pass from under me and over my head. The next thing I noticed was that I was falling. My head aching.

“Raven, are you okay?” Worry was in Damian’s voice, as he wrapped his arms around me. He had caught me, but—

“What happened?” I whispered as I looked up to Darkseid’s general direction. And I gasped, seeing my father in smoke form. I rolled out of Damian’s arms as I knelt on my knees and looked at Constantine.

 _“I have a better idea.”_ Trigon says and then possesses Superman.

“No!” A scream came from me, almost similar to the demonic scream of my father a moment ago. The next second I was up on my own feet. A wave of relief washes over me, something has shifted from within me. And the need to protect was the only thing in my mind. I stood in a defensive stance, between my father and Damian.

Trigon glances at me, a look of surprise in his eyes followed by a faint smile.

 _“I am proud of you daughter. You are strong.”_ Then he turns to punch Darkseid.

“Raven…” I kept my gaze at my father, not trusting that he would not take this opportunity to harm Damian. After all he had been threatening him for years now.

“Beloved…” Damian whispers gently as I felt a hand on my waist, and a presence beside me. I look at him and let go of the breath I found myself holding.

“I’m scared.” I told him, but he just smiled faintly and pressed his lips on the side of my head. He tells me he knows and I knew that he truly knows. I wasn’t going to lose him. The thought makes me follow Trigon’s movements.

“Your robe…” He mutters, as he ushered me towards where Cyborg was in the wall. My eyes shifted from following Trigon and Darkseid’s fight to my robes. They were white to my surprise. But I didn’t really have anything to say, so I returned my gaze at Trigon.

“Damian, about what I said…” Batman says from beside Damian, who raised a hand at his father.

“There is no need for that father. I know.” I felt the tranquility come out from him as he replied to Batman. “I’d like you to meet my wife.” I felt the love he felt for me radiate from him and I stared and my husband. I felt dejected.

In some other circumstance, he could have died at that moment. In some otherworld, we wouldn’t be together—not bound by friendship or love—not a marriage and surely not by the spell I casted almost a year ago. Perhaps we would never meet each other, or maybe we have—could have but was a meter short or even just an inch away from one another. Or perhaps our paths had crossed but there was no permanency between us. The thought couldn’t help but bloom in my mind. A worry that I had shared to Damian in the past. And I felt awful.

“Vic says we have a way out, but we need a distraction.” Constantine says just as we got close enough. Wonderwoman and company were already by Constantine’s side. And I focused my mind not to think of the possibilities running though my head.

“But we can’t leave Clark.” Batman says, the thoughts in my head quieted down. I turned to look at the battle behind us. I was surprised to see Superman cured and fighting Darkseid, while my dad was in smoke form inside an orb.

“Raven.” Constantine stared at me and I knew fully well what he had planned. I couldn’t help but put a grim smile on my face, as a few seconds tick away.

“I guess it’s the only way.” I sigh. “Damian stand behind me.” I sensed his displeasure but does so. I would rather be between my father and him just in case.

“Azarath Metrion Zinthos!” Constantine and I chanted and my father is released from his current prison. He was displeased with Darkseid and only glanced at me—no Damian for a moment and took off.

Superman then arrives just as the boom tube opened. And everyone slowly went in, sadly Victor could not join us. I couldn’t help but look for my father, Trigon. Damian was in front of me and holding my hand.

“Beloved…” Damian says as he squeezes my hand. We were the last two who hadn’t entered through the portal.

As if it was fate, my father appeared before us. He looks at us and tells us to live well. My eyes widened in surprise and I looked at Damian. He squeezes my hand again, though his eyes held a hint of sadness. We passed through the portal with him taking the lead.

When we reached the other side, we stare at the sky as Apokolips is sent to nowhere in particular. I look at Damian, let go of his hand to which he responded by look at me with a worried face. I close the distance between us by giving him a sudden hug.

My feet not touching the ground as I tightened my grip and burying my face on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me for support but tightens his hold on me after a second had passed. There was just silence between us and around us for who knows how long.

“I…I honestly wasn’t trying to kill myself.” He said quietly and it felt awful. The purity of taking the hit for his father hit me. But for him to think I was worried about that; I honestly was a bit hurt. Should I act childish to tease him? I was tempted but didn’t do so.

I pulled away from him, my feet touching the ground but kept my arms around his shoulders. I look up at Damian, trying to etch his face into my mind. From my peripheral vision I notice Batman looking at us. I withdrew my hands and took a step back from my precious husband. He couldn’t help but make a worried face, as his worries of him angering me with his selfless deed-- reach me.

“You should talk to him” I tell him as I glance at Batman and Damian follows my gaze. His worry disappears when his eyes laid on his father. He looks at me with love and goes to talk to his father.

I look at the fallen heroes around me, and despite their current state, I felt their hope for a better tomorrow. Whatever that may be. I glance at the ruin left by the Titan Tower. Whatever that future may be with all this ruble and destruction. I saw a stone large enough for two to sit on, and I walked my way there to sit on the rock.

I glance at Constantine and Flash who seems to be in a heated discussion.

“We have to tell them!” Constantine yells. And their voices were softer as they continued to argue.

I look at the water in front of me. The blue sky and how the sun’s rays reflect on the water. I think about that moment when Damian so fluidly put himself in front of his father. And I pulled down the hood on my head in frustration. That moment kept replaying in my mind. And I realized to the fullest what fear felt like.

I could have lost him just like that. He who had no powers.

I felt anger at whoever put him to the path of becoming Robin. I realized how stupid I sounded and sighed. If he wasn’t Robin, I would not have met him. And meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to me.

This is what happens when the relationship between heroes change into something more intimate. There will always be danger and fear of losing one another. This wasn’t something I had felt to this degree in the last two years. And that was probably because what we had to fight with here on earth was nothing compared to Darkseid. I wonder if I should be thankful for his almost death because it would not have made me see how dangerous it is to be together. If the world wasn’t already in chaos, knowing how frightening it is to be with another hero, would have made me stay away from romance in normal circumstances.

Familiar arms wrapped around me from behind and a head rests on my shoulder.

“Beloved, what are you thinking about?” Damian whispers right by my ear.

“Alright!” Constantine suddenly yells as he turns at us. He explains to us that there is an alternate to this whole ordeal, and it is as simple as Flash running—that is back in time and changing everything. I patted the spot beside me to invite Damian to sit beside me.

“It seems our time has come to an end.” I say faintly and rather absentmindedly. It was what we had worried about for some time. Damian had just sat himself beside me.

“Your spell… will it be undone too?” I felt his anticipation for my response, his hope.

“No,” I turn my head to face him. “Afterall as Constantine said, it is a nasty nasty spell.”

“Then will I remember you?” He hastily asks me. A pause. And he knew the answer and I felt his utter disappointment.

“Yes.” I said firmly though there was a knot in my heart. He looked at me with hope.

And we saw Flash stand up and began to run. We look at one another, the hands between us intertwined, and with our free hands, we cup each other’s cheeks and gave one another a kiss.

We pulled away from each other and I rest my head on Damian’s shoulder. This was it; this was as far as we go.

~

I woke up with a gasp, the air within my room felt heavy. I sat up on my bed as I wipe sweat from my forehead.

 _“Great! You’re awake!”_ My father says annoyed. _“You were making me feel things I do not appreciate, child.”_

“Like what father?” I ask just as annoyed.

 _“Miserable.”_ He grunts.

“Good. Because that is what I feel with you, and I hope you feel that too.” I mutter at him and he starts cursing me for being ungrateful. I ignore him so that I can focus on my surroundings to calm myself down.

I look at my room in the Titan Tower. Everything seemed normal, nothing was out of place. My father was right. I felt miserable when I had woken up from my sleep. Why did I feel miserable? Oh yes, it was because of my dream—no that was a nightmare.

The details—what were the details? I found that I couldn’t recall my dream. A dream? What dream am I thinking about? The one from last night?

I slowly lie back down in bed; it was still night out. I was just confused from being woken up suddenly by my annoying father. Yes, I will back to sleep now.

I allow the drowsiness to come to me. Today was a very tiring day, I need to go back to sleep. My eyes flutter back to sleep.

I felt like there were people in my room talking. It was faint, but it was a full-on conversation.

 _“Will I remember you?”_ A male voice says.

 _“Yes…”_ I felt something warm against my lips. _“Unknowingly…”_ The female voice continues with a sad tone.

“Like the word at the tip of your tongue, like a memory you couldn’t completely recall, like a kiss from a butterfly…” I muttered as she finishes what she was saying, our words completely in synced. I wondered if I was having a fever dream. It had been a really long day.

 _“A feeling you cannot shake.”_ I felt that I had to hold onto those words. Yes. I have to hold onto those words. They were important. I know they were. I felt that there was even something more that was said before it ended.

Wait, what ended? My heart felt like it was being clenched.

What was it that I was supposed to hold onto? A tear slips from my eyes.

Why do I feel so sad? It was probably nothing. Yes, it was nothing. And everything was dark.

_“You and I have become soul mates. You are bound to me as I am bound to you. No matter when or where, this will be true. Even if we do not know.”_

I awoke with a jolt as though I was falling.


	3. Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimpses of the life Raven and Damian lived in the 2 years after the attack on the Titan Tower-- before they were sought out by Superman and company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Tumblr Prompt.

DamiRae Week 2020: MARRIAGE

_~_

Damian led me to where Dick was confined in and when I saw the state that Dick was in, it felt as though someone had clutched my heart from within my chest. It felt awful seeing him like that, and the emotion I was feeling off of him was intense and then hollow, and the cycle would continue. He did not understand what he was feeling when there were emotions to feel and did not know what to do with it when it’s there, and when it’s gone, he is left confused but sometimes empty. And I felt that confusion he was going through in its fast pace.

This might make me an awful person but I wanted to end his suffering through death. The thought made me forget what he was emitting and it felt like it was the right thing to do. But, how could I?

Damian had used the Lazarus pit because Dick was his brother. He longed for family in the state that we were in. And I had told him that I would have done the same if I were in his place and had his resources. So how could I find the heart to kill Dick?

 _“I can help…”_ Hearing my father say that made me think that I could heal him.

I approach Dick slowly. My perception of time and space altered. It seemed that my footsteps were too loud. My breathing uneven and my vision blurry. When I dropped to my knees beside him, the thump felt a little too loud. He looked like he was about to scream but he had a gag on his mouth, so he couldn’t. I was informed, as we were making our way here, that it was to prevent him from hurting himself or anyone else.

“Hey…”I say as gentle as I could as not to freak him out but it sounded too loud to me. I wrap my arms around Dick. His eyes were reflecting his insanity, I propped a leg up and leaned his back against it. He squirms in my arms but I try to hold him down as much as I could, as I start healing him to at least ease his mind.

And Azar, did it feel so awful.

It feels like I couldn’t breathe. I was starting to lose myself with Dick. I wrap my arms tighter around him and bury my face on his shoulder as I began to rock our bodies.

“Shh…Shh…” I kept repeating. I wonder who was I comforting, him or me? And the shushing suddenly stopped as I started seeing flashes of Dick’s life and his emotions tangling up with him. I gasp and I sobbed and was on the verge of screaming-- but maybe I already was.

“Raven!” I hear Damian call out; his voice filled with worry and urgency. I could feel someone embrace me, and I assume it’s Damian. I held Dick closer to me maintaining focus as I fight with the surging emotions I was feeling and the visions I was seeing. I wanted to puke and yell and destroy.

And oh-- how I wanted to destroy.

Dick had become quiet—no everything around me had become awfully quiet. I could smell Damian’s scent, and was aware of his firm hold on me and his hard chest. My eyes closed and I felt water on my cheeks--tears were streaming down my face, I had realized. I must be weeping so loudly, but I couldn’t hear myself. And everything just stopped-- everything went black. I felt oddly relieved.

At first, I did not understand where I was, but it slowly sunk in that I was looking at my bedroom ceiling. The bedroom that I was assigned in when I arrived at the compound. It was rather dark and I was confused—wasn’t I with Dick? I heard shuffling against the wood and I try to get up as I turn my head to the direction of the noise. Damian is by my window which is covered by thick curtains, I notice that it was day because of the small cracks from the curtains that allowed sunlight in.

He notices me, my head is aching badly, I took notice of the disheveled state that he was in. He looked as though he has not slept well for a while.

I attempted to ask him what was wrong and how I got here, but I found that my throat was dry which adds to my confusion. I had closed my eyes and looked down, the throbbing in my head worsening in my confused state.

“God. Raven!” Damian was suddenly beside me, his arms wrapped around me. And I felt every ounce of worry and relief he felt and it felt like a slap on my cheeks. I was already confused and being suddenly overwhelmed with his emotions was a little too much. But he was shaking against me and I found that I could not afford to be overwhelmed right now. So, I lift my arms weakly to hug and comfort him. However, I found that my body felt rather weak too.

“You’ve been asleep for three days!” Damian’s face is buried against my shoulder. The way he was acting made me recognize the fear he felt. I felt something wet on the shoulder that Damian was leaning on. I realized that he was crying and the despair in his voice solidified his emotions into me.

Hearing him sound so broken made me decide to heal myself, I had to be strong for Damian. But something had changed. I felt it. Something was different.

“I’m alright, Damian.” I comforted him, but his hold does not weaken nor his emotions. My voice sounded weird to me.

“You were asleep for three days—you weren’t healing yourself.” He sobbed, and I felt it, the full extent of his fear. He had thought that I was going to die, the only semblance of love he had. The person he adored so much. The only one he can walk this path with him and yet still care for another individual in this way.

“Healing…” I mumbled breathlessly. I was overwhelmed already with the situation and I realized—healing. My eye twitched and a tear falls and somehow, I found the strength to hug Damian tighter. That was what has changed.

 _“Your healing has changed.”_ My father confirms what I already know. _“If you let me_ —” No.

I started wearing a full body suit that is purple close to black with purple accents. I couldn’t heal the same anymore and healing Dick became a long and tedious process.

Damian insisted that I did not have to treat Dick, not at the expense of my health., not after what happened the first time, I attempted to heal Dick. But I love Damian and I want to give him this. I want to give him more.

Love from me was different from love from a family member, and maybe that was why I wanted Dick to be healed for Damian. The family love I could never experience now, cannot be changed. But to Damian who had a taste of it before this shit-show-- can still have a portion of it. And I want to safeguard and give that to him.

I am now part of the league of assassins. I am now Damian’s partner. And despite my father becoming significantly nosier, I am happy with Damian and the league. This happiness is what I am willing to protect. That very moment my father had threatened Damian, I had long decided—I will protect this. Him.

~

I have been with Damian for almost over a year now. The world is left in rubbles after the parademons attacked. Thankfully, nowadays the parademons don’t come in big hordes as they did the first time of the attack. But I suppose it makes sense, there isn’t much to destroy or kill now. Damian has been training me to fit the league’s standards, and he is a rather strict instructor. Sometimes I wonder if he got it from Batman or his grandfather.

Whenever we were training, he would not hold back because of his relationship with me. Something I appreciate because I won’t learn anything if he holds back. But I also feel his conflict when we train and even more so when he lands a hit on me.

And because he was the leader of the League of Assassins, he felt that he couldn’t even show favoritism towards me. Despite that, he obviously had a soft spot for me. I just can’t help but be charmed by it. His duality was adorable, and yet I knew it was a burden to him, and I try my best to ease him.

Damian could get a little uptight and protective but it stemmed from the fear of losing the only person he had left-- me. And in all honesty, I felt the same exact way. It just so happens that I am willing to do what is necessary to ensure his safety from the one who possesses the most danger—my father, Trigon.

But Damian wasn’t alone, he had Dick. I had reminded Damian that once, and the feelings he felt at that moment made me never mention Dick again in correlation to Damian’s fear of losing me. This past year, I had felt so many awful emotions and situations, but that moment, when I told him he still has Dick and if he lost me--Dick would still be there. That moment—that moment had a nuance that cannot be compared to other awful feelings. Recalling it made me feel like I was falling for a moment. It made me feel guilty.

I look at Damian, whose head was on my lap. We were under the shade of a tree. You could say we were on a date; but these moments were frequent. And as Damian have confided in me, not as special as being able to bring me to dinner to meet his entire family. Or being able to flaunt me to the world, or simply book an entire five-star restaurant just for us two. And I see his point—but I also see that he just missed his family and friends. And that small guilt that he wouldn’t be with me had the situation not turn sour for the entire world. I felt the anger he had for himself for not understanding his feelings sooner and not having the courage to say them.

I stroke his hair; his eyes were closed because this was the few moments he could truly relax. And I understood clearly his desire to show the entire world of the amazing girl he—Damian Wayne—fell hopelessly in-love with. And I froze from stroking his head and I close my eyes.

“You see me too highly, my love.” I couldn’t help but whisper as a gust of wind muffle my words and as I put him on a slightly deeper sleep.

A few days later, Damian and I were alone together doing some reconnaissance. I was ahead of him but we were still at the forest outside the league’s outpost. We have kept parademons at bay with a relatively big radius away from the outpost and right now we were in the safe zone. We also had to distract the parademons from coming closer to the outpost every now and then.

“Raven.” He had called out to me. I turn to look at Damian he was about five meters away from me. I look at him confused.

“I have something to tell you.” He approached me cautiously. I couldn’t help but furrow my brows. A moment ago, I was focus on the recon task and had reinforced my empathetic shield heavily because of it. Despite it almost being two years since the attack, the animosity, grief and hopelessness that plague the world remained, and it can become rather overwhelming for me. The change of tone from Damian baffles me.

“Okay. What is it?” I ask him as I walk towards him. He was making me worried. My father snickers.

“I love you.” He says as he stopped a meter away from me, I took one last step in front of him. I was so confused and worried that I decided I have to put down my empathetic shield. It was the only thing that would bring me peace of mind because his putting me on edge.

“Will you marry me?” He says at the exact time my shield went down. I gasped overwhelmed. I felt his love for me as he said those four words, and I was blind sided by it. It wasn’t what I expected to feel-- or hear. But I felt his overflowing love for me.

 _“Don’t you dare say yes!”_ It sounded like a screech and I closed my eyes and tilt my head a bit because of my father.

“I know we are still just teens. I’m still eighteen and your nineteen, but I don’t want anymore regrets.” The love he had for me had turned into fear. And I knew why he was afraid; he had told me about them before.

“I know I said we would keep it slow, and go through us step-by-step to be able to appreciate each other’s company. But we also both feel like were always standing on an edge of a cliff, just waiting to be pushed by strong winds. And I—” His rumbling is stopped as he took in a sharp breath, I could tell he was struggling but I couldn’t help by smile at him with love in my heart that felt like it would burst. “I don’t want to regret not being able to call you my wife.” Hearing those words made me gasp.

Those words, I exhale softly, changed the fear to that same overwhelming intensity of the love he had for me. And I bit my lips trying to contain the tears wanting to fall.

 _“Don’t you dare!”_ A scream from my father as I nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t even seem to form the words. _Yes._ I couldn’t help but put my face into my palms, wanting to hide my pathetic self from Damian.

Overwhelmed. I have used that word so many times and it meant so many different things. But this time, _this_ overwhelming moment—this was more than all the other overwhelming moments I have ever had. This moment—is what I never ever want to forget. The love I feel for this man—I never ever want to forget.

“Raven?” Damian said his breath just above my head, his hands gently pulling my hands away from my face. I look at him and looking into his eyes made me hold my breath. His emotions dancing around me like fireworks. He wipes away my tears and I decided to stop crying.

“Yes.” I whisper and he smiles. I could tell he knew from my reaction that it was a yes as our eyes continue to be locked with one another, more so I could feel he knew my answer. I give him a sudden hug. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!” I repeat, finding that I need to say those words. _Yes._

“Yes.” He whispers into my ear as he embraces me back and does a little spin. I felt his joy and his love—and somehow it became ours. I pulled away from him and collected myself, I wiped away my tears and cleared my throat.

“The-the ring!” He rumbles around his body and I felt his nervousness. “This-this wasn’t how I wanted to propose.” He admits and I can’t help but giggle at his current dorkiness. My heart felt so full.

“But-but as I was looking at your back—I knew I had to ask now. I had everything planned and all.” That was why I could not seem to find him often these last few days. I wondered when he decided that he had to propose marriage to me.

He pulls out a blue velvet box from his pocket and he opens it and there laid a ring. The metal was mostly gold but in the center of the band, there was a thinner line of silver. And there laid an emerald the exact shade as his eyes in seemed to be embedded in the relatively thick band. I glance at him—specifically his eyes to confirm. Yes, exactly his eyes, I look back down at the ring as he pulled it out of the box with his right hand.

The emerald was maybe just less than three centimeters in all sides of its square-like shape, the edges of the square rounded. And I had lifted my left hand as I take the box from him with my right hand. He uses his freed left hand to hold my right hand.

“I was going to kneel down and all.” He says as he slips the ring into my finger. And I chuckled, envisioning Damian pacing as he recites his every move for his proposal. “But I knew that I need to ask now.” And I felt his serenity at the decision, and it took my breath away.

“So, I suppose the recon mission is a ruse?” I look at him and he places a hand behind his neck as he looks away.

“Well, actually we still have to do that.” And I couldn’t help but laugh, it sounded so melodious. I was rather embarrassed by it and so I turned around from Damian and took a few steps and stopped. I was so happy that my laughter could not hide it.

“I suppose you have thought about this right?” I turn around to face Damian and he looks at me questioningly and I pointed to the gem on my forehead. His face twisted and crunched up and I laughed whole-heartedly. He had completely forgotten.

“We-well. I—” He looks away. “I did not get to think of that part yet.” He blushes and I smiled, and I raised my hand still holding the box.

“We can totally make use of this.” I grin as my father yells.

“Well, let’s go, my love.” I turn again. I realized that my father must have been yelling as Damian proposed but I could not recall if he was. I must have been too happy with the turn of events that his voice was completely blocked out.

_“I will kill him. Raven.”_

“No, Father. I won’t allow it.” I say under my breath.

~

Damian and I were at the underground caves facing each other. On my left was an altar with a huge old book that was opened and facing us. There were two equally old looking candles on either side of the book providing light aside from the candles, there were torches around the cavern.

A silver chalice with some liquid I could not identify in front of the book. And in front of that is the ring Damian used to propose to me on top of a small green cushion. Beside my ring is another ring with a similar style as mine, but bigger and catered for a man with an amethyst instead of an emerald on it. The exact same color as my eyes, I couldn’t help but marvel at the shade.

He wore his league of assassin’s uniform but with a red cape. I was told a little after I arrived, that normally the cape should be green. But Damian opted for the red to pay homage to his robin identity. And I wore the same armor but with a purple cape to pay homage to my hero identity. Starting today this is my new uniform, we were a couple in matching clothes.

Damian sighs and looks at his surroundings. I could feel his disappointment, he glance at Lady Shiva and I could feel the knot on his chest. He continues to gaze at his guests, Titus and Dick being one of them as I observe him. The select were here as witnesses. He looks at me with remorse.

“I know this isn’t much, and not what you deserve but--” I look at him and gave him an encouraging smile. “Writing our names on this book is just as binding as having a marriage certificate. Which in the state of the world we cannot have. Well, I mean we can-- we just can’t have the necessary signatures for legalization, not that there is anyone to process the papers.” He sighs ending his rambling. Probably thinking how foolish he sounded.

“I get to marry you, that is what matters to me.” I say as I reach out for his left hand with my right, fighting the laughter bubbling in me because of how adorable he was and because this was a serious moment. He smiles at me and he leans his forehead on mine, he closes his eyes and I close mine.

“If there is another life, I will get married to you in the grandest way to compensate for this.” I really wanted to laugh at how adorable he is.

“Yes, if there is.” I whispered back and he probably did not think much about it and I place a peck on his lips. He opens his eyes, startled as I pulled my head away from his.

“Damian Al-Ghul,” I say firmly “Wayne.” I whispered so softly. “Marry me.” And his eyes sparkle and he chuckles. He places his name on the book and signs it, and I do the same.

“Our names have been written in the sacred book. This marriage is binding and our witnesses can testify to this union. Our names have been placed with our ancestors and will be seen by our descendants. They will remember our names for they are written within this book. You and I will be remembered for all generations to come. You are an Al-Ghul and you are part of thy legacy.” He recites.

This was one of those moments I get to glimpse the Damian who follows the leagues tradition strictly.

“I have shed my former name and have forgotten who I was. All I am and all I know is—when I had awoken, I am part of thy legacy. I am an Al-Ghul. My ancestors are written within this book and my descendants will know who I am. I have always been and always will be an Al-Ghul.” My father must be screaming but I could not hear him because I warded the gem on my forehead. He was not going to ruin this moment for me.

He takes my ring and places it on my finger and I put his ring on his finger.

“And now, the chalice.” He says as we both reach for the chalice, his hand overlapping mine.

“As you give me blood,” He continues as we brought the chalice to my lips and I took two gulps of the liquid. Azar, I hope this isn’t actually blood. Damian had reassured me this is all formalities, but this does not exactly taste like juice.

“And as I give you blood.” I say as we guide the chalice to his lips and he takes two gulps too, and we both place it down on the altar.

He had said that it was laced with a special aphrodisiac and explained to me the details. It did not have an automatic effect though. The giving of blood was to represent a child born from both parties—but Azar the liquid really did not taste like wine or juice.

“We are now officially married.” He announces to the handful of witnesses. “Now the witnesses will sign on the book.”

After they finished signing the witnesses left to wait with the other members of the league. Damian and I stayed a little bit longer by the altar.

“That was not how I wanted to say my vows.” He sighs and leans his forehead against mine.

“Hmm… I think it was interesting.” I reply. “Slightly cult-ish” He chuckles.

“Raven.” He looks at me intently and pulls his head away by a few inches. He puts his callused hands on either side of my face.

“I love you, and I trust you. I am honored to be called your husband. I am honored to be able to walk this path with you. Words can never express how much I love you.” And I felt his love, I take his hands off of my face and brought them to my chest.

“Damian Wayne.” Silence and I can feel his expectancy. “I can tell you for a fact: that exact feeling you are feeling-- is what I feel for you.” I hear him gasp his lower lip twitching. “I love and trust you as you do—exactly as you do.”

And I could feel that he believes me. Maybe it was because I am an empath and he knew that well. He will always be assured that I feel the same way he does for me—because I actually feel his love for me.

I put my right hand on his cheek and bring him close for a kiss. He kisses be back as he put his right hand on my left cheek. Our left hands still holding one another, the back of his left hand against my beating heart. And I’m sure he can tell how much it was racing. I wonder if he can feel how full it is too.

~

Two years after the attack, Superman with Constantine and Etrigan comes looking for Damian. And I had allowed them to be here, just to tell us that Damian might be the key to turning the tides against Darkseid.

Shit. What am I going to do!

I had said we will think about it instantly after their revelation of their intentions. But—I have to tell him. I arrived at our bedroom and closed the door. My eyes adjusting to the darkness but I walk to the chair I know was facing the door. I have been sleeping in this room long enough to know where everything was with my eyes closed.

In the dark I allow my thoughts to run wild. I was nervous, yes.

“I have something to tell you.” I whisper as I put my forehead against Damian’s.

This was the second time I had repeated the same line, he must be confused.

“Whenever I disappeared whenever we do missions, or when I do solo missions. It’s because I was looking for spells.” And Damian stays quiet allowing me to give my explanation.

“These spells Damain…” I look at him wanting to just cry and scream. “The first ones I learned are ones to block my father, to make sure he does not know what I am doing. And it works, but the main spells I was really looking for, they are for you.” I gaze at him to observe his reaction but he doesn’t look and feel upset. “I had slowly used them on you, when we got married that gave me an opportunity to lay everything down. I could do longer spells. But this spell…” I look away feeling so guilty of what I have done. I feel his callused hands touch mine, and I look at him, and he gave me a smile—he was still not upset. He was just patient.

“The spell.” I continue our eyes locked with one another “It is a very convoluted spell. It covers and overlaps so many factors. It is a spell made of other spells. It is risky and dangerous—” The word made me gasp knowing very well what I had done, but Damian just hugs me. His love for me was still the same despite what I have already said.

“I risked our lives to bind ourselves to each other. I did it to protect you from my father.” He pulls away, and for a moment I was afraid that he was finally upset. I look up at him with wide eyes. But he just looks down on me with a soft smile.

“If I could, beloved. I would lock you up if that will ensure your safety.” He confesses as he leans his forehead against mine again, his eyes closed. “I told you long ago and repeated it when we got married and after—and despite this revelation—still remains true. I trust you. And will always love you. No matter what.”

“You’ve always been so patient with me.” I tell him as he pulls away again.

“Nonsense, it is you, who have been patient with me.” Again, his adoration for me radiated from him, it was still the same. But the moment Superman told us his plan, I knew that everything has changed. The happy life we have been living has finally come to an end.

“I can never be upset or hate you for what you did. You made a good choice, beloved.” And that was that, on the revelation, Damian had already put his foot down on the matter. He could never be upset over what I had done. I was worried for nothing. I couldn’t help but smile.

“We have to go.” I say.

“Yes.” He replies instantly and a moment of silence is shared between us. We both know what we have to do the moment Superman asked. It was just I had not been completely honest with my precious husband.

“I am glad I proposed to you when I did. I have no regrets, Raven. These past two years felt like we were already married. And being able to make it official, in the only way we could—that makes me the luckiest man in this apocalyptic world.” His gaze on me was gentle.

“I am glad that we got married, my love.” I stroke his jawline with my right thumb. “I was wrong, I thought I could never feel family love after I lost my mother. And I sought out love from my demon of a father as replacement. I had the team-- but it was just ever so slightly different. But now—” I return his gentle gaze.

“Now, I can say: that this was the family love I have been yearning for.” I bring his head closer to mine, and he brings our lips closer. And we shared a passionate kiss.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Raven, hurry up we have a new member coming!” I heard Garfield yell from outside my door. I give him a hurried reply and I prepared myself to meet the new member.

“Meet at the yard!” Garfield yells outside my room.

When I got to the yard the Batmobile was coming to view from a far. I felt a tug on my heart, I couldn’t help but frown.

“Is Dick the surprise, Kori?” I couldn’t help but ask. And she looks at me with a smile.

“Of course, not silly! Don’t you remember? Today we are going to take in a new member—I told you all about this a few days ago.” The car had stopped in front of us and the doors opened. I saw black hair and my heart skipped a beat. “The new Robin, Damian.”

A boy with black hair stood before us in his Robin uniform. And my heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. And my eyes couldn’t help but follow a certain person’s black hair.


	4. I Remember You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-JLDAW after the reset. 
> 
> A teaser.

I Remember You 

Damian Wayne was looking at Jump City from the rooftop of the Titan’s tower. He was in his casual wear all in black. In fact, it was the most casual outfit he actually wore, a black hood with black fitted slacks and black dress shoes.

Raven had just arrived at the rooftop; she was wearing her hero uniform, her hood down. She walks to Damian quietly, whose back was facing Raven. There was a bulge within her upper robes.

It was odd seeing Damian Wayne in such casual attire. Raven couldn’t help but feel a tug at her heart. After all, he had said that he never took off his robin uniform unless it was to shower. But here he is, in the most casual attire she had ever seen him in. And it felt _wrong._

She did not know why she felt it was wrong and it makes her furrow her brows and freeze for a moment. His back facing her made her think of thoughts that she had been trying to banish for some time now.

And somehow Raven was able to continue to go to Damian, the steps she took was an unconscious effort on her part. For the duration she felt as though she was walking on a tightrope.

“Hey.” She absent-mindedly called out to him. For a second, she was surprised at the sound of her voice, which breaks the chaos in Raven’s head. Damian turns to look at Raven with a quirked-up brow noticing the odd bulge in her robes.

“Ta-da!” She says with a smile as she opens up her robe for him to see the black puppy in her arm with a red collar. She had forgotten the thoughts that was replaying in her mind prior.

Damian looks at the puppy the already quirked-up brow seeming to be even more emphasized.

“It’s for you if you haven’t figured it out yet.” Raven says with a teasing smile. And he rolls his eyes as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Of course, it is for me.” Damian stares at the pup with a cold gaze but as the seconds tick his facial expression softened. He reaches out for the puppy.

“You haven’t named him, have you?” He asks Raven as he glances up at her, and she shakes her head in response.

“But I don’t know why he kind of looks like a—” Raven says as a gust of wind suddenly blows, making her robes rustle against itself as Damian took the puppy off of her hands. With her hands freed she pinned her hair up against her head as she closes her eyes.

“Titus.” They both had said together, Raven saying it the loudest and Damian whispering it under his breath as though in a trance. The puppy fully in his hands. And it felt _right._

“Yes, I think that is a rather befitting name.” Damian replied as the sudden gust of wind softened and disappeared. Raven glances at him in confusion, she could have sworn he had said something.

And for a moment Raven had thought that another image had overlapped over Damian. Her face twists in confusion, to which Damian glances at her in worry. It was an image very much similar to how Damian was standing now. However, the face was blurry and she felt as though the context was slightly different from the present.

Raven felt his worry and before he could voice it out, she simply says. “Dust had gotten into my eye.” As she rubs her right eye for show. And the image that she could almost clearly see was forgotten, as though she never saw it. Well, because to Raven she had never seen it, and if she does recall she had such an image in her head, it would not be as clear or lack thereof, as that moment Damian picked up the puppy.

“Thank you.” Damian absentmindedly say, despite being an unconscious thanks it was very sincere. And even though he was not fully aware, the words rolled off so seamlessly when directed at Raven.

Damian looks back at Jump City when he had realized what he had just said. And Raven smiles at his embarrassment as she looks at Jump City too.

Who would have known that he and her would become relatively close friends? No one could have guessed it, though admittedly the probability was high.

Raven closes her eyes as she took in a deep breath and another gust of wind hits the pair. And she felt a familiar warmth crept up her chest and enveloped her. She felt love.

She does not notice the careful observing glance from a pair of green eyes beside her. As the warmth in her chest translated into a wistful smile. And the smile to Damian translated as a frown with furrowed brows.

~.~.~.~.~

They had gotten very close—Damian and Raven. And often than not they would hang out together. And one of those places—one of their favorite places—was the Titan’s rooftop.

The sun was still high up and Raven who was in her casual wear, had been on the rooftop for over half an hour now. She was leaning on the balustrade with her arms resting on top, as she stares out at the open water beneath longingly. She was still lost in her thoughts when Damian stood beside her. He observes her for a moment and looked out at the water consumed with his own thoughts too.

When almost fifteen minutes had passed, that was when she had noticed that the space beside her was occupied. A plethora of emotions coming out from the same spot but she had not registered it and she turns her head to see Damian. He notices her movement and looks at her.

Raven’s stiffened expression softened gently with the realization of the familiar features. And her heart tugged. A small grief looking smile was on her lips as she looked away from Damian and into the water below again.

“You must have noticed.” She said softly as her brows furrowed and softened with a sigh. Damian remains quiet and let her talk and clarify herself. She turns around to lean against the balustrade with her elbows resting on the fence.

“I had a crush on Dick.” She ruffles her hair with her right hand. Saying it aloud for the first time, she found that the words were so foreign in her mouth. But she does not notice the brief moment where Damian’s brows furrowed and his lips formed into a frown, as she was facing the opposite direction from Damian’s view. As she puts her right elbow back on the balustrade, she turns to face Damian.

“For the longest time I had liked him.” She said again, the tone in her voice was soft and rather resigned. He tilts his head to her direction, his emotions masked.

“I liked him. I mean I still do. But—I think—well before you ask. Kori doesn’t know, and when the two dated… I understood. Seeing Dick and Kori together—that how I liked him wasn’t as romantic as I had thought. I think—I knew—that I liked him for the wrong reasons.” Damian waits patiently as she sorted her thoughts and the next words she wanted to say. His face wearing the schooled expression of indifference.

“But then I met Tim—and it invoked the same feelings I had for Dick. And for a moment—I had thought that I had liked him romantically too, but—I was wrong again.” She gave an empty smile as she recalled her emotions when faced with Tim or Dick. “Their black hair—Azar. Their black hair and they’re back facing me always stirs emotions from within me that I don’t really understand where it came from. It felt right and wrong. Especially when I see them or pictures of them in their Robin uniform. But the thing is—when I see their eyes—a feeling of overwhelming mismatch hits me. And the crush I thought I have would subside and becomes replaced with dissatisfaction.” Damian turns to face Raven and was startled to see her troubled look. He had words he wanted to tell her but were lost when he saw her expression. Her eyes weren’t even looking at him.

“I can’t fall in love with every Robin that comes my way—” Her eyes flickers at Damian for a moment, a small goofy smile directed at him and it disappears quickly. “Or every boy with black hair.” She shakes her head with an empty smile on her lips as she turns her body again to face the waters. “When I see someone with black hair—I feel a knot in my chest.” She looks out at the water with a darkened gaze.

“It feels like I’m supposed to remember someone—supposed to be looking for someone.” She sighs. “You see Damian, I don’t know when it had started but I have been having dreams. These dreams for as long as I could remember—but the thing is-- I don’t remember them. I do know that these dreams caused me to have such a strong longing for this stranger.” Raven reaches out for the necklace against her collar bone. “I love him. All I know is that I love him. And that the stranger is a male without a doubt-- a male. And I vaguely—so very vaguely recall black hair. And warmth—" And a genuine smile is on her lips. “And a certain warmth against my lips.” She shakes her head as she softly chuckled and put her arm back on the fence.

“You know I tried looking for him—but how could I when I don’t even have a solid clue. And I kind of hoped that maybe one day he’d just appear and I would recognize him instantly. But that is becoming rather unlikely.” And she pauses to stare at the very silent Damian, his brows looked as though it wanted to meet one another but he was fighting the urge to. At his schooled expression of indifference. She knew that he wanted her to finish and vent everything out, so she continues.

“Which leads me to my current decision.” To this Raven’s gaze met Damian’s green eyes. His intention was just to glance at her but her gaze caught his completely. “I want to let him go.” There was clarity in Raven’s violet eyes and turmoil in the set of green eyes looking at her. She looks away from him and stuck her hand out the fence and observed it as she turned it so that her palm faced the sky.

“I will let him go. It’s not like I will know him when we meet. And if we do meet—well-- I honestly don’t want to keep falling in love with every Robin.” She says every Robin rather mockingly with a roll of her eyes as a joke. “But seriously-- I don’t want to keep looking at someone as if ‘ _hey this might be him’._ It’s just dumb.” She adds as she shakes her head. And there was just silence. She allowed Damian to have a moment to let what she had shared sink in. And minutes passed, and Raven refuses to glance at him.

“I actually decided to strengthen my empathetic shield. So, I can’t actually feel how your feeling, and all I can do is make guesses of what you feel on your expression. Unless the emotion is really, really strong to which I would be able to identify briefly what it is your feeling.” She added as nonchalantly as she could, however she was nervous at how he would view her due to this particular information. “I want to be able to feel—love—or a crush because I actually like someone—not because I am chasing a shadow.”

And because of her strengthened empathetic shield, she missed to feel the turmoil in Damian. The words he could not put together and could not correlate with his inner conflict. And her adamant refusal to glance his way with everything that she had just revealed. She failed to see or feel Damian’s true response to her words. His inner response that words could not explain.

Was he supposed to comfort her?

With a sigh he finally says, “So, is this a confession?” his tone soft to curb his inner self. And she turns too look at him, a wary expression on her face at first but as she met his gentle eyes devoid of any form of conflict, her face warms up with a soft smile.

“Yeah, I can’t really tell Kori that I had liked her boyfriend. But I guess telling you that I liked your brothers is just as odd—but you’re the closest friend I have. And finally letting out all this information that I have been holding in—makes me feel so much better.” And Damian nods truly understanding how relieving it must have felt.

“I am glad then, that you decided to confide in me. And that I have such a great person I can call a friend.” And Raven’s small smile grew bigger.

“Did Damian Wayne, just thanked me?” She teases and he quirks a brow at her ready to rebuke, but was unable to as Raven’s joyous laughter captures his attention and he found himself grinning.

**Author's Note:**

> Posted this first in tumblr. Under Eleanore-Delpinium  
> ff.net in DamiRae Entries under karencow; in which will have other shorts in it as it is a collection.
> 
> Hope you like it!


End file.
